China launches ‘world’s fastest HS railway’.

The first intercity train between Beijng and Tianjin departs from Beijing South Railway Station for Tianjin, Aug. 1, 2008. Photo Xinhua/Gong Lei

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Two opening ceremonies were held in Beijing and Tianjin on Friday to mark the inauguration of the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, a week before the Olympic Games are due to begin. Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, China Olympic Committee, BOCOG President and Beijing Party Chief Liu Qi, Tianjin Party Chief Zhang Gaoli and Railways Minister Liu Zhijun attended the ceremony at the new Beijing South Railway Station.

Zhang and other senior officials boarded the first train which left at 10:40 for Tianjin. Within minutes, it had accelerated to over 300 km per hour, pulling into Tianjin Railway Station at 11:10 on schedule. In Tianjin, the first train left at 10:42 and, 30 minutes later, arrived at Beijing South Railway Station.

The railway is the world’s fastest, with passenger trains running at an operational speed of 350 km per hour, according to China’s Ministry of Railways (MOR), which claims high-speed trains in Japan and Spain run at 320 km per hour, and those in France and Germany at 300 km per hour. The new service cuts the 120-km journey from 70 minutes to about 30 with five stops at Yizhuang, Yongle and Wuqing. The service will shuttle spectators, athletes, media people and other passengers between Beijing and Tianjin, which is to host 12 Olympic football matches from Aug. 6 to 15.

The regular service starts on Saturday, with the first train scheduled to leave Beijing at 6:15 and the first train departing from Tianjin 20 minutes later. The last trains are to leave Beijing at 22:10 and Tianjin at 22:06. Forty-seven trains are scheduled to run daily from each city. Trains for Tianjin will leave at intervals of 15, 20 and 30 minutes. A first-class ticket costs 69 yuan (£5:11) and a second-class fare is 58 yuan (£4:30). Fares will be frozen for the first year of operation.

Ten eight-car trains are already in service, each equipped with aircraft-like cabins, swivel seats, spacious interiors and rooftop solar panels. Every train carries 600 passengers. Four of the trains are CRH3 (China Railway High-speed) manufactured by the Tangshan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works in association with Siemens. One reached a maximum speed of 394.3 km per hour during a June 24 test run. These trains would be used on the planned Beijing-Shanghai and the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway lines, and the operational speeds would be raised to 380 km per hour, said MOR deputy chief engineer Zhang Shuguang. The other six were CRH2-300 trains built by the Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company, and could travel at an operational speed of 300 km per hour, Zhang said.

About 26 million people travel between the two cities annually. The MOR predicts the new line will help raise the figure to 32 million this year. At least three kinds of trains already run between the two cities:

D-category trains run at 200 to 250 km per hour and take 70 minutes. Passengers pay 51 yuan for first-class and 42 yuan for a second-class.

K-category trains take 100 minutes and the maximum fare is 20 yuan.

Bank holiday trains run only during major holidays, and supplement regular services.

One Response to “China launches ‘world’s fastest HS railway’.”

Chinese technical innovation in the field of rail engineering must be applauded. As well as the high-speed achievement described above, one thinks of the breathtaking feat of building the highest altitude railway in the world, the Qingzang Railway – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinghai-Tibet_Railway – the Tibetan leg of which was inaugurated by President Hu on 1st July 2006. It is possible to admire Chinese accomplishments whilst remaining mindful of the political objectives underpinning particular projects – the Qingzang Railway will allow the Chinese to strengthen their military presence in Tibet, increase the rate of Han immigration into the region and generally secure the iron grip of the PRC on Tibetan people.